Automatic stack-feed



J. MURRAY.

AUTOMATIC STACK FEED.

APPLICATION FILED 020.27. 1920.

Patnted Nov. 1, 1921.

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AUTOMATIC STACK I EED.

APPLICATION FILED 020.27. 1920.

Patented Nov; 1, 1921;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR (Ea/1N P A T Ni" rrie.

JOHN MURRAY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

AUTOMATIC STACK-FEED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, rear.

Application filed December 27, 1920. Serial No. 433,523.

To 41 whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN MURRAY, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Hatton Garden, E. (3., London, England, engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic staclcFeed, of which the following is the specification. v

The invention relates to machines in which book-signatures, book-covers, sheets and like objects are fed thereto in the form of a pile, and has for its object toprovide automatic mechanism for effecting this feed and for regulating the pressure of the objects in the Jile. r It is usually essential in the type of machine hereinbefore referred to that the object to be treated in the machine should not be presented thereto, either too loosely or with too great pressure. According to the invention means are associated with the feeding mechanism for automatically adjusting the rate of feed to the demands made by the machine to which the objects are being fed, thereby maintaining correct pressure ofpresentation.

Feeding mechanism made according to the invention comprises essentially a conveyer adapted to advance the objects in a pile toward the machine in which they are to be treated, and a finger (or fingers) bearing upon the foremost signature in the pile and adapted to regulate the rate of feed of the conveyor in accordance with the pressure ex erted by the pile on theffinger. The conveyer may be driven through any convenient gearing at a normal speed either less than or greater than what is actually necessary. In each case the finger bearing on the foremost signature controls either directly or through a mechanical relay clutch, ratchet or equivalent mechanism in the driving gear to increase or decrease the rateof feed of the conveyer in accordance with the pressure on the pile. If the object betoo loose the finger sinks into the surface of the pile and operates the clutch or equivalent mechanism to increase the feed, and when a certain pressure is attained the finger is repositioned and simultaneously the speed returned to normal.

An example illustrative of one method of carrying out the invention is shown on two accompanying heets of explanatory drawings, Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 1, being side elevations of the feeding mechanism and Fig. 3 Sheet 2, an end elevation thereof.

In this example the objects A to be treated are fed forward in a horizontal pile by conveyer chains (not shown) between register preserving devices (not shown). The drive for the conveyer chains is obtained from a spur wheel B loosely mounted upon a shaft C and continuously driven through an intermediate toothed wheel 13 from acam shaft D. Mounted on the wheel B is a pawl l3 adapted to be thrown into and out of engagement with a ratchet wheel E automatically in accordance with the amount of feed required. The ratchet wheel E is interconnected with the shaft C carrying the sprockets for the conveyer chains through an epicyclic train of usual form. The tr ain consists of a sleeved extension E on the ratchet, car-- rying a spider in which are locatedbearings for the planetary wheels E 4 E mesh with the stationary pinion E while the wheels E engage a pinion C fast on the final motion or slow speed shaft C driving the conveyer chains. The pawl B is pro vided with a toothed arc in mesh with a toothed quadrant B forming a lever centrally fulcrumed on the wheel B and bearing a small roller B at its end remote from the quadrant teeth. The quadrant B is limited in travel bya pin B attached to the quadrant and passing through an arcuate slot B in the wheel B. The quadrant and pawl are maintained stable in both the on and the off position by a spring B in ten sion between a fixed point B on the wheel B and one end. of the pin B It will be seen that the spring acts on opposite sides of the fulcrum accordingas the pawl is in, or out of engagement with the ratchet. Adjustably secured to a fixed frame F is a ramp F located in the circular path of the roller B when the pawl i out of engagement, but clear of the roller when the ratchet is engaged. Pivoted on the framing is a bell crank lever G one arm of which is located in the path of a projecting finger B on the pawl B whenthe latter is in engagement with the ratchet, but clear of the finger when the ratchet is disengaged. The wheel 13 rotating continuously in the direction indicated by the arrow heads in Figs. 1 and 2 car ries the roller B against the stationary ramp F which throws the feed pawl into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet; this osition being that shown in dotted lines in ig; 2. The ratchet wheel is then driven forward and with it the conveyer chains until the finger B is intercepted by the lever Gr and the pawl again thrown out of engagement,

The wheels causing an interruption in the feed until the ramp is again reached. Thus the conveyer chains are being advanced only while the wheel B is describing. that portion of its revolution located between the ramp F and the lever G. The position of the ramp on the frame F is adjustable in a circular arc to vary the duration of engagement of the pawl. The feed transmitted to the conveyer chains by this period of engagement is such that for each revolution of the cam shaft D the chains are advanced through a distance slightly less than the thickness of each of the objects A. Trip mechanism is introduced o increased the normal feed of the chains automatically in accordance with the requirements called for by the rate at which the machine to which the objects A are being fed operates. The trip mechanism comprises means for withdrawing the lever Gout of the path of the pawl finger B which then continues to make engagement with the ratchet and consequently drives forward the conveyer chains until such time as the automatic means rethrows the lever G into the position in which it interrupts the feed. The objects A are fed forward by the chains on to a plate H where they are pressed against spring fingers J the lower portions of which are of comparatively small area and make contact with the foremost objects inthe pile. The fingers J are secured at or near the fulcrum of a bell crank lever J pivoted on a transverse axis J in brackets J in the feeder frame. A horizontal connecting rod J makes operative connection between the depending arm of the lever J and the vertical arm of the trip lever G. On the opposite side of the lever G from the connecting rod, and colinear with the latter, is a spring J in tension between the vertical. arm of the lever G and a point some distance to the right thereof, To the outer end of the horizontal arm of the bell crank lever J is secured a pin. J" located in a ver tical slot J 7 in the upper end of a vertical rod J the lower end of which is operatively connected to a cam lever J". The lever J is fulcrumed at K and carries a tappet roller engaging a cam on the cam shaft D, contact 7 between roller and cam being maintained by a spring J in tension. The mode of operation of the automatic feed control is as follows :When the foremost object in the pile is about to be withdrawn by the machinev to which they are fed, the lever J 9 is lowered by its cam and the bell crank lever J thus operated to remove the presusre regulating fingers J from contact with the pile. On complete withdrawal of the object, the fingers J are again brought into contact with the pile by the succeeding upward movement ofthe rod J caused by the continual rotation of the cam. It will be Seenthat as the movement of the fingers is away from the pile, the

consequent movement of the connecting rod J* is in the same direction and does not remove the trip lever G from the path of the pawl finger B. As already explained, the normal feed of the chains corresponding to each revolution of the cam shaft Dis less than the thickness of each object. As the latter are withdrawn therefore, the pressure transmitted'by the pile to the fingers J Wlll gradually diminish until the spring J 5 acting on the rod J will be able to pull the finger J into the face of the pile, and the consequent movement of the 1'ocl-J will be I sutficient to withdraw the trip lever G from the path of the pawl finger. "The ratchet wheel and consequently the conveyer chains will be driven without interruption until the Y I pressure on the fingers J has increased sufii ciently to reposition the lever G in the path J of the feed pawl, when the feed will again be reduced to normal. In this way the feed is automatically adjusted in accordance with the rate at which the objects are withdrawn,

thus maintaining at all times a correct pressure on the pile and reducing the liability of fouling to a minimum.

WVhat I claim is 1. An automatic stack feed, comprising means for advancing the stack on each withdrawal therefrom, but at a rate normally below thatrequired to maintain delivery, a member bearing against the face of the stack and means controlled by the position of said member for increasing the rate of feed of the stack. 7

2. An automatic stack feed, comprising means for advancing the stack on each withdrawal therefrom, but at arate' normally below that required to maintain delivery, a member bearing, against the face of the stack and means controlled by the position of said member for increasing the rate of feed of the stack and for returning thestack feed to its normal rate after the stack has reached predetermined position.

3. An automatic stack feed comprising means for intermittently V advancing the stack on each withdrawal therefrom. but at a rate normally below that required to maintain delivery, a member bearing against the face of the stack and means meshing therewith,

5. An automatic stack feed comprising a rotary driving member, an interruptable drive connection therewith for advancing the stack, means for automatically interrupting said drive connection periodically to insure the advance of the stack at a rate of feed normally less than that required to maintain delivery, and means governed by the position of the stack for preventing the interruption of the drive to permit the advance of the stack at a rate above normal.

6. An automatic stack feed comprising a rotary driving member, an interruptable drive connection therewith for advancing the stack, means for automatically interrupting said drive connection periodically to insure the advance of the stack at a rate of feed normally less thanthat required to maintain delivery, andmeans governed by the position of the stack for preventing the interruption of the drive to permit the advance of the stack ata rate above normal and for again securing an interrupted drive at lower speed when the stack has reached predetermined position.

7. An automatic stack feed comprising a continuously rotated driving member, a feed ratchet, a pawl on said driving member adapted to be thrown into and out of engagement with the feed ratchet, a toothed quadrant pivotally mounted on the driving member, a toothed arc on the feed ratchet a stationary ramp adapted by engagement with the quadrant to throw the pawl into gear with the ratchet, a trip finger adapted by engagement with the feed pawl to throw the latter out of gear with the ratchet, means for stabilizing the pawl in both engaged and disengaged positions, and means operated by the position of the stack for withdrawing the trip finger from the path of the feed pawl.

8. An automatic stack feed comprising a continuously rotated driving member, a feed ratchet, a pawl on said driving member adapted to be thrown into and out of engagement with the feed ratchet. a toothed quadrant pivotally mounted on the driving member, a toothed are on the feed ratchet meshing therewith, a stationary ramp adapted by engagement with the quadrant to throw the pawlv into gear with the ratchet, a trip finger adapted by engagement with the feed pawl to throw the latter out of gear with the ratchet, means for stabilizing the pawl in both engaged and disengaged positions, and a member engaging the face of the stack and operatively connected with the trip finger to maintain the latter normally in the path of the feed pawl. l

9. An automatic stack feed comprising a continuously rotated driving member, a feed ratchet, a pawl on said driving member adapted to be thrown into and out of engagement with the feed ratchet, a toothed quadrant pivotally mounted on the driving member, a toothed arc on the feed ratchet meshing therewith, a stationary ramp adapted by engagement with the quadrant to throw the pawl into gear with the ratchet, a trip finger adapted by engagement with the feed pawl to throw the latter out of gear with the ratchet, means for stabilizing the pawl in both engaged and disengaged positions, and a member engaging the face of the stack and operatively connected with the trip finger to maintain the latter normally in the path of the feed pawl together with spring means tending constantly to move said trip finger out of the path of the feed pawl.

10. An automatic stack feed comprising a continuously rotated driving member, a feed ratchet, a pawl on said driving member adapted to be thrown into and out of engagement with the feed ratchet, a toothed quadrant pivotally mounted on the driving member, a toothed are on the feed ratchet meshing therewith, a stationary ramp adapted by engagement with the quadrant to throw the pawl into gear with the ratchet, a trip finger adapted by engagement with the feed pawl to throw the latter out of gear with the ratchet, means for stabilizing the pawl in both engaged and disengaged positions, and a member engaging the face of the stack and operatively connected with the trip finger to maintain the latter normally in the path "of the feed pawl together with means for releasing the engagement of said member with the face of the stack when delivery therefrom is about to be made.

:11. An automatic stack feed comprising a continuously rotated driving member. a feed ratchet, a pawl on said driving member adapted to be thrown into and out of engagement with the feed ratchet. a toothed quadrant pivotally mounted on the driving member, a toothed arc onthe feed ratchet meshing therewith, a stationary ramp adapted by engagement with the quadrant to throw the pawl into gear with the ratchet, a trip finger adapted by engagement with the feed pawl to throw the latter out of gear with the ratchet, means for stabilizing the pawl in both engaged and disengaged positions, and a member engaging the face of the stack and operatively connected with the trip finger to maintain the latter normally in the path of the feed pawl together with means operating with lost motion for releasing the engagement of said member with the face of the stack when delivery therefrom is about to be made.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN MURRAY. 

